- Date
- March 7, 1988, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Miami, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4663SSchleicher K-8B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880307004869A
- Case key
- 32146
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt stated that he had placed the glider into a mild dive & was indicating 90 to 95 mph, well below redline speed when the whole section of the trailing edge of the wing from the aft spar & wing root out to a dist of about 6 ft, separated from the acft. The plt was able to land without further incident. Although most of the failed pieces fell from the acft & were not recovered, an exam of the wing root rib revealed that it had failed. The wing spoiler attach bracket for the spoiler bellcrank is attached to the failed rib. The plt stated that the spoilers flew open inadvertently during or immediately after the failure occurred. The reason for the failure could not be determined. The acft is constructed entirely of wood.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4663S
- Reported as
- Schleicher K-8B
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 8213
- Airframe hours
- 2,957
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sunspot Soaring, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Steve Yoham
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 4, 1987 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- 6X5
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 3,518 total · 2 in this make and model · 100 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TMB, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.